Partake — Restaurant in Edmonton

Super disappointing.

First of all, it took me weeks to even get my birthday reservation booked as the only way to contact them is through email. My friend who has dietary restrictions essentially had to go with hope in her heart as they didn't respond to her either. I had heard good things though, so I wanted to see for myself. Things sadly, went from bad to worse.

Upon arrival our party had to wait 15 minutes past our reso time, standing in their cramped space essentially in the way and towering over seated diners. Upon being seated I asked right away for the wine list to which the waitress (whom was very sweet) told me I could get up and go look at on my own on their chalkboard. Why 4 wines couldn't be memorized is beyond me. I then asked for lemons for our waters she had brought and she came back to say that they would have to charge us 50 cents per wedge...I tried my best to not laugh...seriously?

Next, our meals. Some of the girls were somewhat pleased but no one was gushing and others sorely disappointed, mainly in portion size and lack of flavor. I had the duck tacos and steak tartar. The first were quite good, the duck was perfectly cooked at the "fixins" worked very well together but the latter was boring and bland and the baguette was stale. When I mentioned it to the short haired blonde, whose dismissive attitude leads me to believe she is an owner or manager, she asked "which bread" to which I think I must have given the most puzzled look...all of it? So, anyway she took it and brought back more that was equally hard and chewy so I asked for more of the kettle chips and they did that. The garlic sauce they put on the side was quite delicious but didn't save the meal.

At some point it was mentioned to the waitress that it was my birthday and she said they don't do anything for birthdays but that she had a surprise she wanted to do for us "on her" and offered us a round of a digestif. In the meantime several girls ordered desserts and all were disappointed in the Creme brulee saying it was just OK. The waitress came back after a few minutes and said she had been "shot down" at the bar for what she had offered us! Unheard-of, I couldn't help but laugh in that moment for which I felt a bit bad as it's not the the waitress' fault that the management runs things so poorly.

Needless to say I won't be going back and this review will be going up on my food review page as well so people can be prepared for the possibility of a subpar evening. My birthday was wonderful thanks to the company of friends but boy do I wish I had invited...

Edit: After speaking with the owner whom was very friendly over the phone, I'll alter this to three stars based upon that alone for now. The conversation was apologetic with admission on how things were poorly handled, which is super appreciated. It's never easy to say something was not actually right and for that alone, I can respect the ownership.

We are will visit again another day and try the service again. 06/04/23

We had a low maintenance party of eight that came here after my wedding. We had two individuals who had nothing but water for context.

The food was ordered, three things out of the six individuals we are counting. One of those orders, the cheese board did not arrive until we were ready to leave and after we asked about it. This was roughly an hour later. The individual who wasn't even our server stopped after we asked for a bit of attention (our being ready to leave). She checked on the cheese board and said it was ready and asked if we wanted it boxed up. She apologized and stated they don't serve eight tops and were overwhelmed by us. This was incredibly offensive as two of us only had water, the rest of us had one drink a piece, and only three individuals ordered food. We were not in any shape or form high maintenance with the water we drank, the two appetizers we received during out sitting there, and the cheese board we only received at our exit an hour later.

As a prior server and bartender I do my best to report positive experiences, but the fact we were told we were overwhelming while being the lowest maintenance possible, absolutely was infuriating.

For such an overpriced, "fancy" place, please avoid it you have a larger party than four who wish to have a single drink as you'll be deemed overwhelming and unimportant, and the reasoning for the...

11/10.

Partake occupies a niche within the food and drink market of Edmonton. While some bars excel on food quality, some bars excel on drink quality, and some bars excel on atmosphere, Partake finds itself battling other Edmonton hospitality venues on all of these fronts at once.

The food prepared by Partake rises above almost all competition found within the Edmonton region. Of particular interest to the reader must be the beef tartare, which assuredly ranks the best within the city, and the croque 'mon' soubise, which begs a response from other french food establishments city-wide.

The most important aspect of this establishmet, however, is most certianly the cocktail menu designed by mixologist Jenn Kerr. While eccentric and experimental cocktail houses may be found throughout the city, none rise to match both the care and consideration that Ms. Kerr expends in the creation of excellent cocktails for patrons of Partake. From the use of lesser-known spirits and aperitifs to the acceptance of all flavour profiles that may be enjoyed by the patron, the Partake cocktail menu provides ample supply for any customer (whether experienced in advanced cocktails, or used to the simple spirit-and-mix fare of less focused establishments,) to find a new love.

The author specifically recommends any readers to allow Partake's mixologist Jenn Kerr to flex her own (ridiculously considerable) skills in the creation of a new or in-test cocktail. While these off-menu "dealer's choice" cocktails may vary in price, the quality provided by a professional of Ms. Kerr's calibre creating a cocktail for the enjoyment of the customer cannot possibly...